With the Earth’s changing climate comes a necessary shift toward sustainable products, systems, and mentalities. But while it’s a fight that we all need to join, for those businesses that lack training or education around it, it can still feel like they’re too small to have a big enough impact. That’s why we started a conversation with some of the winners of the 2022 FedEx^® Small Business Grant program to learn more about how they’re using their power for good, and how we can all do the same.

In 2009, passionate environmentalists and avid snowboarders Kirsten Kolter and Ana Van Pelt set out to create snowboards that would enhance performance, as well as have a limited impact on the environment. And that they did. Grand prize winner Niche Snowboards is a zero-waste and environmentally conscious snowboard company.

Although Kirsten and Ana have always been interested in sustainability, it hasn’t always been easy. “Ten years ago, people didn’t really make the connection. They didn’t understand how eco-friendly snowboards would have an impact or be important,” explains Kirsten.

But their sustainability mission doesn't end with manufacturing the snowboards. From packaging to manufacturing, Kirsten and Ana have also implemented a zero-waste process. Their Recyclamine^® technology takes end-of-life snowboards, recycles them, and gives them new life. When it comes to implementing more sustainable practices into your manufacturing process, Kirsten and Ana believe the small things should be celebrated—whether it’s simple switches in packaging, construction materials, or offsetting your carbon footprint. “Small acts when multiplied by millions of people can change the world,” Ana agrees.

Their challenge has been figuring out easy drop-in solutions and substitutes for harmful materials without a point of reference. “It’s challenging because you have to envision something totally new, and then convince everyone else that it’s worth investing in,” says Ana. “We don’t have all the answers yet, but we know how it should look, so we’re taking little steps and connecting different people to see how we can all work together.”

Zach and Addy agree that “As a small business, you need to be thinking about sustainability. It’s just the future.” From carbon-neutral shipping, recycling their packaging materials, and partnering with 1% For The Planet and One Tree Planted organizations, Zach and Addy strive to keep their business as sustainable as possible. In fact, creating relationships is one thing Zach and Addy credit their success to. Partnering with Climate Neutral is just one way they stay inspired and create new sustainability goals for their business—the outdoor industry is full of people doing what they can to better the environment. According to Zach and Addy, “It’s about networking and seeing what other companies are doing ... don't be afraid to reach out to anybody. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Aeroponic systems can even create positive change across the globe. Troy says, “One of the biggest issues in the world is that we keep shipping food to people without showing them how to do it themselves, so they become reliant on large-scale producers and end up starving when something like a pandemic happens.”

True Garden’s aeroponic towers are empowering both urban growers and consumers to make a change. “You can grow a lot of food with a two-square-foot tower,” Troy stresses. “And who doesn’t have a two-square-foot corner?”

True Garden is also home to solar-powered greenhouses, which help produce clean greens all year round while using 95% less water and 90% less land than traditional farming. “This is a no-brainer. We should all be doing this,” Troy says.

During his time as a pharmacist, Troy came to realize that many of our staple foods are to blame for gut issues. So, when he discovered how to create pesticide-free produce, he was aware of the long-term impact this would have on people’s health. Troy says, “Just think of the reduction in chemicals and everything that you’re not getting exposed to.”

When it comes to doing what you can as a small business, Troy advises starting from the bottom up. “Align yourself with a company that can provide a box that fits your product instead of big box corporations that are wasting trees,” he says. “If businesses can make themselves more efficient and not be wasteful, that’s important.”

True Garden is focused on being as green as possible—whether it’s packaging or technology, no natural resources are wasted. Troy is currently looking at ways to automate their processes, from cutting down on paper and petroleum usage to brainstorming ideas for a QR code-based order system. “Technology is allowing us to do that ... and winning this sustainability grant is really going to help us automate even more things that we may not have been able to do before,” Troy says.

Aquaculture is the practice of farming seafood. Over 50% of all seafood consumed domestically is imported aquaculture-raised fish. On an industrial scale, its negative impact is tenfold. Aquaculture creates polluted conditions for fish that threaten the health of both marine life and consumers. But thankfully, there are people like Sarah Ecolano doing what they can to make a difference.

Born from a generational line of fishermen and women, Sarah was raised in a serene coastal community lifestyle. After starting out selling only her family’s catch directly to restaurants, she realized a change for her fellow fishers was also imperative. “As fishermen, we weren’t really getting that good of a wage for a particular species of fish ... so why were we willing to be beholden to a commodity-based marketplace that valued volume over quality?” explains Sarah. She was determined not to stand by, silent to the many misconceptions about wild-catch fisheries and the lack of information available to consumers about the profound difference between a small-boat fisherman’s careful fishing techniques versus the harmful seafood harvesting methods of larger industrialized fishing factories. With lower quality fish being falsely advertised by megacorporations as premium cuts, Sarah’s mission was staring her right in the face. She thought, “This isn’t right, who’s going to do something? Oh dang, it’s me.”

For Sarah, it’s about telling people the real story behind what they’re choosing to eat. She explains, “There’s a lot of fraud in the marketplace. One study found that 43% of all salmon is labeled incorrectly ... and one in every five fish sold is labeled incorrectly.” What’s worse is that even the most caring consumers don’t know how to filter through misinformation. For instance, GMO salmon is now being served in U.S. restaurants without being labeled as such, but people like Sarah are giving us the skill set to ask questions and make decisions. “It’s about knowing what’s on your plate,” Sarah says.

Sarah has many plans for the future when it comes to making her fishery even more sustainable. She currently uses paper-based cardboard packaging and is moving away from plastics as more bioplastic options become available. All Copper River Fish Market’s orders are then shipped with dry ice and no Styrofoam. “If there’s an option to reduce the waste stream, that’s the direction we take for sure,” Sarah says.

Copper River Fish Market is just one small business making our world a better place in a sea of others.

From quick work breaks to long-haul trips, snacking is a part of everyone’s day. And while more healthy snacks are available every single day, alternative gluten-free treats weren’t always as readily available. Sydney Chasin knows this better than anyone. As a gluten-free child living on her family’s farm, she had to get creative with the ingredients at her disposal. “It was a really magical place that inspired innovation and creativity from simplicity,” Sydney says.

Surrounded by corn- and soy-growing farmers, she quickly discovered a range of clean alternative ingredients, and was taken by one in particular: sorghum. It wasn’t long before Sydney put her knack for creativity to the test and founded Chasin’ Dreams Farm’s Crunchy Tiny Pops, a better-for-you popped sorghum snack that’s also great for our planet and our health. “It’s been quite a journey ... to figure out how we actually tell the story of our hero ingredient,” Sydney admits.

When reflecting on the changes small businesses can cultivate, Sydney points out that big food companies are always looking at small snack companies to find out how to make a sustainable change. “We have the ability to be agile, follow trends, and take risks they can’t,” says Sydney.

At FedEx, we’re proud to support small businesses making progress for the planet, and our sustainability efforts don’t stop there. Real change starts from within, which is why our approach focuses on three key ideas: reduce, replace, and revolutionize. Whether that’s optimizing our aircrafts, innovating zero-waste technologies like FedEx Fuel Sense, or adding electric vehicles to our FedEx Express pickup and delivery fleet, we’re dedicated to finding new ways to deliver a more sustainable future.